All Wrong
by Krazy Ky-Sta Hatter
Summary: It's been a year since Alice has come back from wonderland. She waited for a long time for Hatter to come visit. But he never did, no one did. After a year she finally finds the glass again… but Wonderland is not what she had left. It was all wrong!
1. Back

This piece was inspired by 'A World of Dreams' by The Joker's Got My Heart. When I read it I had so many of my own ideas that I had to write them down and next thing I knew I had my own version of the story.

If you want to read it, here's a link: .net/s/5576347/1/A_World_Of_Dreams

**Back**

_Alice_

It was a shock for Alice to wake up in a hospital bed. It was even more of a shock when she was told that she had only been in that building for an hour.

It couldn't have been an hour! She had spent two days in Wonderland. Two days, not an hour!

It was the Looking Glass; it had to be the Looking Glass. It had put her back in her own world not long after she left… kind of like in 'Narnia'!

It wasn't till she was home and packing up the things she had used to search for her dad that she noticed it. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. The large green tattoo like mark on her arm was gone. Not even a faint trace of it left.

She heard Hatter's voice echo through her head. '_That's not going to come off… Sorry!'_

"Well, it's off Hatter," she said grimly.

She realised that she didn't _want_ it to be gone. Because if it was there it meant that everything that happened was really real.

Of course it was real, what was she thinking. There was no _way_ that she could have imagined someone like Hatter. And Hatter _had_ to exist. He had said he would visit her, she believed he would.

I mean with _that_ terrible goodbye he had to see her again. She knew he would come, he cared for her. She knew he was trying to tell her that before she left. But he had been so far from caring for people for so long that he probably didn't know how to express it.

But he would come; she knew he would try all he could. Not enough people believed in Hatter, they underestimated him too much.

Days and weeks passed by, soon weeks turned into months. And no one came. She waited and tried to get on with her life, but she always hopped to turn around and see Hatter standing there with that cute dimpled grin.

Eventually she went back to the building, planning to go back through and see them all. But the Looking Glass was gone. She could feel her heart crack and splinter as she stared at the blank wall.

She did it, to stop her heart from breaking further and so she could just move on with her life. She had to.

Painfully, she told herself that it wasn't real. It had never happened.


	2. Attack

**Attack**

_Hatter_

Hatter stood happily at the Looking Glass. He had tried to run through it a few days ago the second Alice had stepped through. But Jack had stopped him telling him to wait a few days. He'd grudgingly agreed and in that time Jack had gotten him a fake ID and an apartment in Alice's world.

Jack wasn't exactly happy about it but he was graciously accepting that Alice didn't want him. And he was warming up to Duchess who was limpet-ed to his arm like a love sick puppy. A very sexy love sick puppy, but still.

He loved Alice, and he was going to see her soon.

"Jack!" someone called through the crowed that was gathered, still empting their world of Oysters. Jack whipped around to face the caller. A tall man who looked fairly familiar and similar to Jack pushed his way towards them at the front of the Looking Glass.

"I heard you were King! Congratulations!" He said clapping him on the back.

"Knave! It's so good to see you," Jack replied somewhat stiffly, hugging his little brother.

"Indeed, just a question… what did you do with Mother?" Jack and Hatter looked at each other awkwardly.

"She, ah, kind of disappeared. We didn't get the chance to detain her."

"I see," Knave said standing dangerously close to the power box for Hatter's comfort. He stood right in front of it, his hands behind his back. Having deal in the dodgy a lot of his life, he didn't believe it was merely an innocent stance at all. "Too bad I missed all the fun." He slipped his hands into his pocket and just as Hatter expected the ring was on his finger.

"Jack, he's got the ring!" he shouted.

In the time it took for anyone to react Knave had pulled out two guns. With one he shot Jack in the head and aimed one at the mirror. Duchess shrieked and knelt down beside his body, screaming his name and begging idiotically for him to come back. Hatter went to move forward but Knave moved the first gun on him. Some rouge suits who hadn't sided with them appeared and aimed at the few suits that were there.

"Anyone move and I shoot the Glass!" Knave told them, his smile becoming sickeningly sadistic. "At this moment the rest of our Suits are laying siege to the Duchess's castle. I, being the new crown prince, am now your King. Anyone who strikes out against me _will_ die. Join me now and your lives will be spared."

Some of the Suits relaxed and stepped forward, in fact there weren't many who didn't move to Knaves side. Hatter just glared at him.

"Ah, Hatter… no, I didn't think you would. Seize him," he said to the Suits.

In moments the Suits were upon him. He tried fighting back but someone grabbed his right hand, his strong hand, and he was powerless.

"Give him to the good Doctors'," he said. "And you," he dragged Duchess of his brother's body. He looked her up and down hungrily. "You're coming with me."


	3. Torture

**Torture**

With his hands in cuffs they dragged him off to Duchess's family castle.

His mind was buzzing.

Jack was dead! Jack's brother had just made himself King.

And he wouldn't see Alice… But he'd escaped this situation before. He could do it again, couldn't he?

Because if there was one last thing he wanted to do, it was to see Alice again. And this time he would tell her…

At the castle they took him down to the dungeons. But as they passed through the main hall, he wasn't sure… but he thought he saw the Red Queen.

The room he was put in was nothing like the Truth Room back in the Casino. But there waiting for him were the same two sadistic bald twin 'Doctors'. They grinned as he was pushed into a chair and had both hands chained down. Damn, chains, they had learnt.

He glared up at them. He wasn't going to break, no matter what they did.

Up on the wall, he noticed, was a large selection of weapons and other torture devices. There were much more, and much worse than the ones they had used before.

But it seemed that along with mind games the two geezers' favoured the cattle prods.

They were at him for what must have been days. Every now and then they would give him meagre portions of water and stale bread and let him out to the bathroom (heavily guarded). There was absolutely no chance of escape.

Quite frankly he had given up trying not to cry out. He was covered in red welts from the shocks, and he had bruises and cuts from everything else they had started doing to him. He was in so much pain that he could barely think.

Alice. Only Alice, she was all he could think of. The thought of her was getting him through.

He was sure he was beginning to hallucinate now. And crazy nonsense words would slip from his tongue. But none had enough meaning for the doctors to get anything from.

He would babble on for hours. Talking to his hallucinations, saying random memories aloud. He didn't even realise what he was saying half the time.

He surely sounded like a mad man.

"Whatever you want to know, I won't tell you," he hissed. The twins laughed even more cynically than they had for the last… he'd lost count of how long he'd been here.

"We don't want to know anything yet," One of them cackled.

"This is just for fun," the other taunted.

Hatter moaned as they slid a knife down his arm. He had no idea how long they would do this. And the longer they did, the weaker he became. He was already too weak to attempt an escape.

He was beginning to believe that he was never going to see Alice again.

Months passed and Hatter was more dead than alive. Only thinking of Alice kept him going. The twins were starting to get bored with physical pain and were starting to poke around in his head. Bringing up painful memories. Like of his father's death, March and things like that. Sometimes they would bring up memories of them torturing him. His mind was so weak that they could project images into his head now. They would make him watch the torture while he felt the pain again.

One day it seemed different though. When the demon twins walked in they had a purpose. He knew they wanted something.

"It seems your little resistance friends stayed safe and hidden," said Dee… or Dum.

"And now they've become quite the hassle," the other added.

"We understand it that you know where they are."

"Where is the great library?" He would have glared at them but he didn't have the energy. Not to mention that his eyes were almost so puffy they wouldn't be able to see it.

"Nowhere you bums' will ever be able to find it," he rasped. The doctors laughed that horrible laugh again and started torturing him again.

They seemed to have renewed energy and hit him all that much harder.

They began sifting through his memories, knowing he'd been there before.

The first memory of the Library they hit was only a view of the inside, but they got so excited. They tried to see further, to see the way there.

He had to stop them; he couldn't let them see it! He fumbled for a moment then brought up the one thing he could think of.

Alice.

He saw her beautiful strong figure and a proud expression on her face. Her long dark hair and that very wet dress he had the privilege of seeing twice. His lips, so close to hers…

The memory was so strong that it blocked the twins out. All they could see was Alice. Alice was his world.

He could almost feel the twins grin.

They left him alone the rest of the day.


	4. Not Alice

**Not Alice**

Hatter wasn't roused from his sleep the normal way, with a shock to the side.

Instead he was gently shaken awake by Knave. He still had that sardonic smile planted on his face.

"Hey Hatter, you have a visitor," he said.

"Let me guess, you've revived March again?" he joked weakly, trying to show the so called king nothing could get him to budge.

"Oh no, you'll enjoy having this person here. Bring her in," he said signalling to someone outside the door.

The twins entered holding a struggling Alice between them.

ALICE! No, no, not Alice! Not here, she couldn't be here! No she was safe in her own world, not here!

He watched as emotions played across her face. Of course there was fear, when she saw him confusion flitted across her face. Then she seemed to recognise him and then she was over come with absolute horror.

"Hatter!" she cried out passionately.

"No, no, no, no," he muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"What? I thought you'd enjoy having your little girlfriend here," Knave taunted.

"Let her go!" he ordered, his voice turning to steel.

"Eh, maybe later." He tucked something into Alice's pocket then waked out of the cell. The twins pushed her in further then followed him out.

"Oh my god, Hatter!" she cried running forward. She held his face gently in her soft hands. "What have they done?" she sounded horrified as she brushed strands of his hair off his face. He tried to reach up and touch her too but his hands were still cuffed. When Alice looked at them something seemed to click for her and she pulled a key out of the pocket Knave had slipped her.

She unlocked the handcuffs and helped him up. At first he sagged from the pressure and having not stood up in a very long time. He took a moment to regain his strength; then he threw his arms around her and kissed her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," he told her drawing back. "What are you doing here!"

"They came into my world and kidnapped me," she told him. "What happened here?"

He began to tell her but suddenly she screamed, clutching her head. Like she was being mentally tortured. His arms wrapped around her and he looked up at the two laughing twins outside the bars.

The two of them walked in and dragged them apart.

"No!" he yelled, struggling to get back to Alice. The twin that was holding her took out his cattle prod and shocked her in the side. He struggled even harder as she screamed and fell to her knees.

"Tell us where it is?" they demanded, aiming the next one towards her throat. He knew how bad that one was.

He pulled his right arm loose and knocked the twin hold him out. Then he lunged at the one with Alice.

He grabbed him by the shoulder and smashed him into the bars.

Alice tried to say something but was cut off by a loud bang. Hatter looked over to see Knave with a smoking gun pointed over his shoulder. There was a faint thump and he whipped around to see Alice sink to the floor. Ice covered over his heart and his whole body went cold. It was like time seemed to freeze a moment.

He dropped the doctor and rushed to her side. "Alice!" he cried panicked. The bullet had hit close to her chest and she was bleeding a lot. The shot wouldn't kill her, but if she wasn't helped now the blood loss would.

"You two really need to learn a thing or two," Knave told the twins. "People like Hatter will not fold if you threaten someone they love; they will do all they can to save them. And Hatter would do anything to _save_ Alice, wouldn't he?" Hatter glared up at the hateful man. He put pressure on the wound trying to stop the bleeding as much as he could. With his other hand he caressed her face. "Tell us where the Great Library is and we'll take Alice to an infirmary."

"No, Hatter!" Alice whispered. He saw the pain in her blue eyes and he couldn't stand it. He couldn't live in a world without Alice.

"East side of the city," he said. "Sixty-fourth floor. Hedgehog route, it's the third grey door. Inside is a lift, red button to go down, blue to go up."

"Thank you Hatter," Knave smiled.

But no moved, they all just stood there.

"What are you doing? Help her!" he cried. "You said you'd help her!"

"Yes I did," Knave laughed. "But I never said when."

He would have screamed at them if he hadn't realised he couldn't afford to waste time. Frantically he turned back to Alice and gently scooped her up in his arms. He knelt on the ground holding her and grabbed her hand.

"Hold on, you can get through this," he begged.

"No I won't," she said calmly.

"No, no! Don't say that!"

"Hatter, I've been shot. You can't help me anymore than I could help my dad." He could feel tears running down his bruised face.

Her breathing was laboured and she was becoming paler by the second.

"No Alice, don't leave me! I just got you back."

"It's okay Hatter. I can go happy. I got to see you one last time. That's all I wanted, to see you again. I love you Hatter."

Gently he leant over and gave her a last long kiss. When it was over her eyes stayed closed. Her breathing was so shallow it was barely there. But there was a faint smile on her lips.

"And I love you Alice," he whispered.

He held her in is arms a long time. Even after her chest stopped moving.


	5. Death

**Death**

He glared up at Knave, tears blurring his vision.

"You said you would help her!" he yelled.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," he said casually inspecting his nails.

"You could have saved her!"

"No we couldn't have."

"You had time to get her to an infirmary and save her!"

"It wouldn't have mattered Hatter. Because she was never really there." As he said this Alice's body vanished from his arms, leaving them empty.

But for a moment his heart soared, Alice wasn't really here. She had _never_ been there! She hadn't really been shot!

"Where is she? What have you done with her?" he yelled going up to the bars like the caged animal he was.

"Alice? She was already dead." His heart went cold all over again.

"What?" he said quietly. It sounded so different and strange compared to the yelling.

"We took her from her world a few weeks back. Naturally the High Queen wanted her executed immediately. When we realised she was the key to making you talk… well, we had to improvise," the evil man grinned. "Goodbye Hatter."

Hatter turned his back to the bars and slumped down to the ground as Knave left.

He had betrayed the resistance for nothing.

And Alice… Alice was dead. Alice was DEAD!

He never really got to see her again. He would never feel her soft pail skin in his hands. Never look into her beautiful blue eyes or see her strong proud face.

He heard the doctors come in and they dragged him to his feet.

He didn't care what they did to him any more.

He was broken.

His heart had shattered into a million pieces.

He was nothing without Alice.

Together they dragged him up, out of the dungeons.

This was it. They had what they want from him, now he was useless. They were going to kill him.

He had never really believed in an afterlife, but now he found himself hoping that there was _something_. Somewhere he could see Alice again.

He was so broken he barely noticed they were strapping him into yet another chair.

He slumped forward, acting like a rag doll.

"Hold him still," one said to the other. Someone roughly held his head in place, making his bruises burn.

The other pointed something at his face and he was forced to stare down the barrel of something he didn't recognise.

There was a weird noise.

And Hatter was no more.


	6. The Looking Glass

**The Looking Glass**

_Alice_

It had been a whole year since Alice had 'imagined' her trip to Wonderland.

It was a year since her father had died.

Though she told herself everyday that it hadn't been real, part of her refused to believe it. It had just been too real. Hatter, her father… everything.

But all evidence pointed to it being false.

If she'd gotten some sort of tattoo, then it should still be there right? It was gone.

But every now and then she'd pass under a UV light and she would swear she could faintly see it under her skin.

No! The mirror wasn't real. Hatter and Charlie and the Red Queen weren't real. Her father was still missing and Jack just up and left.

She had ran into a building after a creepy old man who had mugged Jack and stole his family's ring. She'd fallen and knocked herself unconscious for an hour.

It wasn't as an exiting story as Wonderland, but it was the true one.

That's what she kept telling herself.

And yet still she found herself walking into a church and lighting a candle for her dad.

She wasn't in anyway religious, but it was something her mum had always done for Poppa.

She sat there in a pew. She didn't do anything, just sat there.

She found herself wishing she were back in Wonderland. She'd do anything to see them all again. Charlie, Jack, Duchess, Hatter… Especially Hatter.

She wouldn't even mind seeing the Queen of hearts.

Queen Mary Elizabeth Constance Devilious Heart. See! How could _she_ imagine such a strange long winded name like that?

Or Sir Charles Eustace Fotheringhay Le Malvois III. She didn't even know that Devilious and Fotheringhay were names!

She couldn't have thought up those names.

…Well she had. It had been a freaking year! There wasn't a shred of evidence to prove it was real. She needed to bloody well get over it already!

And that's when she saw it.

There, at the back of the church, behind the alter on the far wall. A large mirror with an intricate gold frame.

There was no mistaking it. She'd dreamed about this mirror more nights than she could count. Though she'd only seen it for a quick second as she fell through, she knew every detail.

The Looking Glass, she had found it.

It took less than a few seconds for her to bolt up the isle and three steps to the back of the room. But she hesitated when she got closer.

What if it really hadn't happened? What if all this time she'd been right? And if she touched that mirror she would find her hand pressed against glass.

But her heart just couldn't take the risk of believing her head.

Closing her eyes and holding her breath, she stepped forward into the mirror.


	7. Wonderland

**Wonderland**

Alice felt herself falling and opened her eyes to find herself in that colourful vortex. She could have laughed with happiness but was struck by the familiar lack of breath.

This time when she landed she wasn't so dizzy. And she was actually in the Looking Glass room. Not some creepy place so filled with water everyone was in danger of being electrocuted.

Looking around she saw a few Suits looking back at her cautiously. And the 10 of Clubs was there too!

"Number 10!" she greeted him warmly.

"Miss Hamilton!" he replied. He was clearly shocked to see her but he put on a friendly face. "It's so nice to have you back. How was your holiday?" He turned to the Suits. "An old friend," he told them. "She has clearance. She's been on holiday through the Glass for the past two years. A courtesy of the queen. It's fine; I'll take her to see King Knave myself." When 10 looked at her he held a warning in his eyes.

"What?" Alice asked sounding very confused.

"A lot has changed since you've been gone Miss Hamilton," he said. "The Queen's son Knave has become King."

"You mean Jack?" she said hoping Knave was another of his names.

"No, his little brother was crowned. See, a year and a half ago the Alice of Legend came and turned Wonderland upside down. She destroyed the Casino and Jack helped her. He was executed for treason."

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, half playing along.

Jack was dead! There was a new king who was on the Queen's side? Where was hatter?

"Come, I'm sure the High Queen will be thrilled to see you again." Placing a hand under her elbow he led her from the room.

"Alice! What are you doing here?" he demanded once they were out of earshot.

"Jack is dead?" was all she could say. Number 10 nodded.

"Knave had been out of the country during your time here. When he returned he found his mother, got himself an army and took over. A few days after you left he attacked us at the Looking Glass. He shot Jack."

"What about Hatter?" 10 hesitated.

"They um… kidnapped and tortured him…" he trailed off.

"Is he alive?" she demanded. 10 stood with his mouth open. At a loss as to how to tell her.

At that moment the doors burst open with a bang and two dozen Suits with guns closed in on them.

Some Suits grabbed each of their arms, the rest kept their guns aimed at their chest.

One of the Suits who'd been in the Looking Glass room stepped forward.

"Did you really think us that dumb, 10, that we wouldn't recognise the Alice of Legend when we see her?" he spat. "I guess we were right that you still remain loyal to Jack. Oh, and you were right too, the High Queen _will_ be thrilled to see her."

Many of the Suits laughed then started shoving her and Number 10 out of the building and loaded them into a Scarab.

They were being taken to see the Queen.


	8. Shock After Shock

**Shock After Shock**

In the Scarab 10 had been stripped of his Clubs hat and cloak. Without the pointy beard he would have looked normal and rather handsome.

They were taken past the ruins of the Casino, which weren't really ruins anymore since it was being rebuilt.

They were taken to a large castle just over the hill. She knew the queen hadn't had a castle so this had clearly been stolen.

As the Suits took them into the castle they were met by a man with bleached hair and ice blue eyes. There was something familiar about him, yet she knew she'd never seen him before.

"So _this_ is the Alice of Legend!" he cried dramatically throwing his arms out in welcome. "I am King Knave."

He walked right up to her and studied her for a moment. "You're every bit as beautiful as Hatter used to remember," he told her quietly.

A cold shock ran up her body when she noted the past tense.

"What have you done him?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

"Now, now Alice. We'll get to that one eventually," he said patronizingly. "For now, my mother just can't wait to see you any longer."

Grabbing her roughly by the arm he pulled her through the castle. A good many suits following closely ready to attack at a moments notice. She guessed they still remembered she was a black belt.

Knave pushed her forward as they entered the room.

It had been decorated in the usual red, black and white colour scheme the Queen loved.

The set up was rather the same too. But where the last room had only two thrones, this one had three.

On the lower area there stood two chairs side by side. One was empty, but sitting in the one beside it was a depressed looking Duchess.

She was dressed in her usual sexy clothing, but in red…

Duchess _never_ wore red!

As Alice looked closer she noticed her hair was deflated and she had dark circles under her eyes. If you looked closely enough you could see a faint shadow across her jaw. A bruise she had masterfully covered up.

And up on the third throne, which was larger and higher up than the other two, sat the Queen of Hearts.

"Alice," she said standing up and walking down to her. "How good it is to have you back."

She turned and looked at Number 10 who stood defiantly. "Off with his traitorous head," she ordered.

10 didn't even flinch; he just followed some Suits out, proudly accepting his fate.

The queen turned back to her.

"As for you, Alice my dear. Your time will come soon enough. But your execution shall be public.

I have crushed the resistance once and for all, but there are still those who oppose me. What better way to show them there is no hope then to show them the death of the one that started it all. And no one can save you this time. Not my son and not Hatter," she said the last part very quietly so no one would hear Hatters name but her.

"What have you done with Hatter?" she shrieked at the evil queen, struggling against her captors.

"It's no concern of yours what we have chosen to do with Hatter. He was a very useful man who-"

"Oh would you _please_ stop bloody well talking about me like I'm not here!" came the familiar voice from the crowed.

Her head snapped up and she watched as Hatter walked forward. He wore the same style clothing as he had last time. A loose neck shirt and tie with a jacket and his hat. But all the colour was gone. It was all black and charcoal grey.

One other major change was his new hard cold expression.

"So _this_ is the great Alice of Legend," he mocked.


	9. The Great Alice of Legend

**The Great Alice of Legend**

_Hatter_

Mockingly he looked up at the girl.

He was used to women looking at him in fear. But this girl's fear was different, it wasn't directed at him, it was directed to him.

He could see how shocked she was when he spoke. Like he wasn't what she had expected.

He was also intrigued as to how she knew who he was, let alone was worried what they'd done to him. He'd never seen this girl in his life.

Though she did somehow seem familiar. But that was probably because he had seen her picture a thousand times on the 'Most Wanted' wall.

"Did I emphasise 'used to remember' enough?" he heard Knave whisper in her ear. She seemed absolutely shocked then she glared murderously at the King.

He liked her spunk, not many people other than him had the guts to glare at Knave. But she still seemed rather weak compared to what he'd been told about her.

"Too bad we weren't here when she came," he said to Knave. "It would have been fun to fight this one when she wasn't so pathetic." He circled around her, causing a faint sense of déjà vu. "Are you sure this is the right Alice?" he asked. Alice looked hurt.

"Hatter?" she said weakly. He walked right up to her and looked her up and down.

"What I don't get," he said to the others but looked her in the eye. "Is how _she_ killed my brother."

Alice gasped in shock and managed to look confused at the same time.

"Oh, didn't you know Alice?" Knave asked. "March was Hatter's brother." Alice blanched and took a step backwards. She looked up at him with an unreadable emotion.

"Would you like to be the one to execute her?" the Queen asked. He turned to her with a look that said 'are you joking?'

"I'm an assassin, Not an executioner," he turned back to look Alice in the eyes. "Besides, it's not fun if you can't hunt them down."

She recoiled from him, reminding him of someone who'd been bitten by their own dog.

"Never the less would you like to do it?"

"It couldn't do any harm," he shrugged. Her mouth fell open; this girl for some reason was in a lot of mental pain. Maybe they had set the twins onto her already.

He sat back down and put one leg up on the table. He casually took out his gun and began spinning the revolver.

"Would you care to guard her for the next few days," the Queen said with a malicious grin.

The revolver stopped dead as his head snapped up.

"Do I look like a bloody babysitter?" he said offend.

"Well truthfully you're the only one we trust not to mess this up. She's escaped from the Doctors' before." Hatter smiled to himself. Of course he was the only one who could keep her here. He was the best around. But he still showed no signs of interest. "We'll give you twenty times your usual rate." At that his head picked up.

"I do believe we have a deal Queenie."

The queen glared at him; normally she would have executed anyone who dared talk back to her. But he was her best assassin, better than his brother had been even. She couldn't risk loosing him. And that was all part of the fun.

"Well, what are you waiting for, get her into a cell," the Queen said impatiently. Two suits took her by the arms and dragged her out of the room. A whole bunch followed like she was going to escape.

Unfortunately he supposed he should follow them.

"Mary," he said goodbye to the queen with a tip of his hat.

"Grr! I'm going to kill that Hatter one day!" he heard her growl as he left.

They shoved Alice into a cell in the dungeons. He grabbed a chair and sat on it backwards facing her.

Two Suits stayed behind but quickly scattered when he shooed them off.

"So," he said. "You're not quite as fierce as I've been told." Alice let out a humourless laugh.

"I guess I'm in shock," she told him.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," he said sarcastically.

"Hatter wake up!" she suddenly yelled.

"Hey sweetheart… I'm already awake." Tears began to run down her face and she slumped against the far wall.

"Don't you remember anything?" she said miserably. "The tea shop, the Kingdom of the Knights', Charlie."

"Where, where and who? Are you sure you got the right Hatter?" his voice was cold.

"God damn it Hatter! Don't you remember? I came into your shop and we went to see Dodo and he tried to kill you because I had the stone of Wonderland?"

"Dodo tried to kill me for a completely different reason. But he's dead now so it doesn't matter. As for you, I've never met you before. If I did I'd remember, now shut up before I make you," he told her.

Her head hung and she quietly began to sob. What was with this girl?

"And they call _me_ mad," he muttered.

For the next few hours Alice just stared blankly at the wall. He had no idea what was running through her head but for some reason he had a feeling it wasn't the execution.

There was a knock at the door and Queen Duchess entered carrying a martini.

"Duchess, what are you doing here?" he demanded getting up.

"Alice is my friend. I want to talk to her," she snarled.

"Well too bad."

"I am Queen, you must follow my orders!"

"Yeah, when they're confirmed by the king. God knows what you get up to. Seriously in amongst the suicide and murder attempts I'm surprised they don't already have Suits accompanying you everywhere." He looked at the glass in her hand. "Speaking of which, I'm confiscated this." He took it from her hands.

A few months ago she had drunk herself half to death. They had to take her to the infirmary and pump her stomach. Since then she'd been banned from alcohol.

"Ooh, you caught me. Go on, run along and tell Knave like the little lapdog you are." He laughed.

"I'm not going to fall for that one." He looked over at Alice who had shifted closer to the bars and was watching the two of them. "Fine, talk to her, but if I don't like what I hear then you're out."

Before he could say anything more Duchess was pressed against the bars clutching the girl's hands.

He listened into the conversation for a while but nothing very interesting came up. Alice even _sounded_ dafter than he'd thought.

While watching them he kept glancing at the glass in his hand. Well she wasn't allowed to drink it, why let it go to waste. In one swig he sculled it back.

Ugh, he wasn't sure what kind of martini that was but it wasn't very good. Damn Duchess had terrible taste.


	10. Escape

**Escape**

_Alice_

Alice had no idea what Duchess was up to when she came in and slipped her a note saying:

'Act daft, I'll explain later!'

She had played along and they talked about meaningless things for minutes.

Duchess had been all: 'Oh my goodness I can't believe this is happening!' playing the part of the perfect blonde.

But though she played along the only thing that stayed in her head was Hatter. It took all she could not to scream at Duchess, asking what they'd done to him.

He was so cold. He didn't even remember her.

But not only that but he was an assassin! An _assassin!_

It didn't even faze him. She just could never even imagine her Hatter being like that.

Suddenly there was a loud thump and she peered behind Duchess to see Hatter lying unconscious on the floor. Duchess looked too.

"Finally!" she said going over and taking the keys from his pocket. "I drugged the drink," she told Alice opening the door.

"You knew he would drink it!" Alice said amazed.

"Welcome to my life as a queen," she said bitterly. "Come on, I've arranged for a few of the resistance Suits to march us out like you're being taken somewhere." She began to walk to the door.

"Wait! What about Hatter?" she cried. Duchess looked at her sympathetically.

"He's not the man you knew Alice… forget about him."

"No! I won't just leave him," she said desperately trying to drag him up. "I can fix him, I can bring him back!"

She had done it to her dad, why wouldn't it work on Hatter. Sure she only had two days worth of memories of him, but she remembered those few memories better than anything else in her life.

She hadn't let herself admit it till now, but in just two days she had utterly fallen for Hatter.

Seeing him like this was just breaking her heart again and again. Yet it was more as if her heart had become numb. He was alive, she could see him safe and well, that was what made her numb.

She had to hope that she could fix him, she _had_ to fix him.

"Fine," Duchess sighed. She whispered something out the door and some suits came in with a covered trolley.

They put Hatter in it then grabbed Alice like they had when leading her around.

Together they all waked from the dungeons and got into an elevator.

"We have flamingo's waiting on the roof," they told her. "You're escape will be harder now we have Hatter. But we can tie him to your flamingo. He won't wake up for at least another fifteen minutes."

She just nodded and looked down at Hatter, unconscious in the trolley. Lying there 'asleep' she could barely tell anything was wrong with him. He looked like the kind Hatter she had known.

On the roof were three flamingos. One was for her and Hatter, one for Duchess and one for an escort Suit.

They had just finished tying Hatter to the back of hers when gun shots sounded from the doors. The Suits on their side helped them onto their flamingos.

Alice didn't even have time to battle herself over the old fear of heights like she had last time. One of them just leaned over and pushed the red button, she barely had time to hold on.

Hatter's hat nearly fell off, so carefully she reached behind her, took it off him, and pushed it down firmly on her head. A hatless Hatter was never a very happy Hatter.

And _this_ assassin Hatter hatless was just plain dangerous!

She looked back behind her to see the roof top get smaller and smaller. But still she could see the Suits who had helped them, fall one by one, dead to the ground.

The Suit who was meant to accompany them hadn't even made it onto his flamingo…

"They'll come for us really soon!" Duchess yelled to her.

"Where to now?" through the strands of hair that whipped against her face, Alice could see Duchess's guilty expression.

"I didn't really plan this far ahead," she admitted. "Quite frankly I'm surprise we got this far. I've been trying to do this for a year and a half!"

"Well no offence, but it's a good thing you only did it now," she told her. "I know a place we can go, I don't exactly know the way but I know how we can find it… Wait! Is Charlie still alive?"

"The crazy old man in armour?" Duchess asked in confusion. "He disappeared the second you left; no one's seen him since."

"Have they found the Kingdom of the Knights' yet?"

"Who?" she sounded dumfounded.

"I'll take that as a no then," Alice laughed.

Behind her she could feel Hatter stir and she quickly headed them towards the shore where she thought they had hidden the boat last time.


	11. What Happened

**What Happened**

This time to cover their tracks Alice and Duchess dragged their flamingos into the water.

Alice guessed this was the right spot because not far down was an old abandoned boat that could well have been Hatters.

Then before he could wake up she and Duchess searched Hatter. They confiscated two guns and three knives…

'Make that four,' Alice thought as she found one in his hat. She took three of the knives and gave one plus both the guns to Duchess.

"Won't you need one?" she asked.

"I'm not very good with guns," she said tying Hatter's hands and propping him against a tree further into the forest. "So what have they done to him?" she asked quietly.

Duchess seemed to take a moment and sighed.

Together they sat down about a tree away from him.

"A few days after you left, Hatter was going to follow you through," Duchess began. "So he, Jack, Number 10 and I were at the Looking Glass as they were about to send the last Oysters through. Then Knave came. He took the ring and shot Jack.

Me, I got the unpleasant job of being his wife. It's horrible, but I could handle it. Hatter… Hatter wasn't so fortunate. They saw him to much of a threat, they didn't want to kill him just yet, but they knew he'd escape. So they tortured him for weeks.

Months actually, they were trying to keep him weak enough so he wouldn't escape. They tortured him for four months straight.

At that point the resistance started fighting to free me, 10 and Hatter. They asked him where the Great Library was, even poked around in his head but somehow he managed to keep them out.

I heard them plotting on how they could get it out of him and I heard your name. They were going to kidnap you. So I stole the ring.

But the very next day they dragged him out. He looked broken, like he didn't have the will to live anymore.

Then they Adjusted him. Made him believe he was an assassin like his brother had been. Turns out he's even better than March but we won't get into that. He thinks that he was travelling with Knave when you came. But he was so beaten and bruised. They told him he had been taken by the resistance and tortured. But he was lucky enough to find out the whereabouts of the Library. He led the attack.

At first they just welcomed him right in, they thought he'd escaped. And them he killed most of them. Even Dodo and Catipillar."

"I thought Catipillar was already dead!" he killed himself when they caught us trying to wake my dad." Duchess shook her head.

"He ate a rare Old-Wonderland mushroom. He shrunk down so small no one could see him, he came right a few days later.

As for Hatter, well, he's gotten worse over the last fourteen months."

Alice looked dejectedly over at Hatter.

"So… he doesn't remember anything… at all?"

"He remembers his childhood, growing up with his father, the Head Ace, in the castle," Duchess said. "But that's about it."

"Having fun talking about me?" Hatter croaked, suddenly awake.

In a flash Duchess was up with a gun pointed at his chest. She looked so cold and bloodthirsty. She was barely the Duchess Alice remembered.

"Move and you die," she threatened. Hatter just laughed.

"If you wanted me dead you would have left me behind. Therefore, you want me alive."

"Not me, her," she indicated to Alice. "For some god forsaken reason. I would have already killed you by now."

"Duchess!" Alice cried in horror.

"I told you Alice, he's not the same man-"

Hatter took this moment of distraction to swing is legs around and knock Duchess off her feet.

Just as fast, Alice knocked him backwards and pinned him against a tree.

"So you are the Alice of Legend after all," he laughed. Then he looked at her in anger and confusion. "Why are you wearing my hat?"


	12. Jabberwocky Again

**Jabberwocky… Again**

Alice got off Hatter and placed the hat on his head. The second it was on he blotted.

"Where are you going Hatter?" she called back to him. He stopped and turned to look at her, his face hard. "If you go back to the Queen without me she'll have your head for sure. Even if you are her favourite _assassin_," she spat out the word.

"Then, I'll just have to bring you back with me," he said simply, walking back to her.

"I'm a black belt, good luck with that."

Hatter looked at her in confusion again. She rolled her eyes; she was not going to explain it to him.

"In other words she can kick you ass," Duchess said for her. "So you come with us."

At that moment a screeching roar sounded through the forest.

"What was that?" Duchess and Hatter said in unison.

"Shit!" Alice hissed. With one of the knives she cut the ropes around Hatters wrists. "Quick, climb a tree." Duchess immediately bent down and took of her heals. Hatter just stared at her doubtfully.

"Why?"

"It's your advice, just do it!" she yelled turning to a tree. Then she froze, there in front of her was the Jabberwocky. "Scratch the tree, just run!"

She grabbed the two of them by the arm and dragged them with her. Hatter was able to keep up but Duchess lagged behind a little. She kept shouting encouragements at her.

When the Jabberwocky missed her by mere centimetres she screamed and put on the burst of speed they needed.

They ran, just out of its reach for what seemed to them like a long time.

Then this time, knowing what to look for, she saw it. She yanked the others off to the side just before they ran into the pit. She didn't know if she would be lucky enough to survive a second fall into that thing.

Behind them the Jabberwock skidded and with a screech, collapsed into the whole and was silent. They turned to face the dead beast, its head sticking out of the hole, its neck and chest skewered with large wooden spikes.

"Yeah!" someone cried joyously from behind them. She laughed as Charlie shot past them and stood dancing at the edge of the pit. "Ha! It worked! My trap worked. Take _that_ Hatter!"

"Take what?" Hatter asked. Charlie tuned finally seeming to notice them.

"Hatter! Alice!" he cried and waddled over to them. "You're back! Oh it's so good to see you!" he gave her a hug.

"How the hell does the old guy know me?" Hatter demanded. Charlie looked at him, confused and hurt.

"Don't worry Charlie, he doesn't even remember me," she told him.

"What! That's preposterous! Hatter can't not remember you. He saved you a dozen times. You were everything thing to him, the only thing he cared about. He loved you!"

Alice hung her head and stared at the ground.

"Yeah, thanks for that Charlie," she mumbled.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hatter said.

Alice wasn't sure how she felt at that. On one side she was ecstatic knowing that Hatter actually had loved her. But on the other, Hatter still didn't remember her and quite frankly hated her.

"Well that sucks," Duchess commented.

"Charlie we need a place to hide," she said.

"Worry not, Alice of Legend. My Sacred Kingdom is always welcome to you and your harbinger… and friend," he added looking at Duchess.

"This guy's mad as a box of frogs," Hatter told her harshly. All Alice could do was stare at him in wonder.

That was exactly what he had said when they first met Charlie! Maybe there was hope!

"What?" he said, sounding worried. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


	13. Do you Remember

**Do you remember…**

_Hatter_

Hatter sat on the back of a brown horse they called Guinevere with Alice.

They hadn't trusted him enough to let him ride in the front where he would have preferred. It was the right choice too. With him in control he would have ridden off with Alice.

The only thing that was keeping him from being too pissed off was the look on Duchess's face.

She was sitting behind the crazy old man, looking down right distraught.

She clearly wasn't comfortable on a horse and she didn't want to touch the guy. To top it off he was singing a nonsense 'Hey nonny, nonny' song at the top of his lungs.

He couldn't really see Alice's face but he could tell she was grinning ear to ear.

Then again, he had every right to be pissed off.

He had been drugged, kidnapped, had his weapons taken away. And now he was here half of his free will because of the fear of being executed!

Then to make things worse everyone kept talking about him like he was someone else.

He had never met Alice and the old man before. Yet they sat there saying things like he was in _love_ with her!

And every now and then Alice would rant off on some random memory of hers which apparently had him in it.

"Do you remember when we were chased by the Jabberwocky last time?" she started again.

He sighed in frustration. "No!"

"You were trying to lead March and his Suits into a trap. You were going to use yourself as bait and lead the Jabberwock to them. I was too busy telling you it was stupid that it came to fast and we had to run. But I ran the wrong way. So the jabberwocky was chasing me and you were chasing the Jabberwocky. Then when you caught up we fell in that pit."

He just said nothing. He was starting to get sick of these lies. Though he had to admit, she was a very good actress.

Every time she would begin, hope would light up in her eyes. But when he would glare at her that hope would fade away. It was slightly entertaining.

"Tell me Alice, if this really happened. Then why would I help an _Oyster_ I'd only just met?" he asked.

"You don't need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress," she replied with a smile.

He was mostly confused. But in his mind he saw a quick flash. An image.

Standing in a white office with grass, Alice and some other guy he had killed a while back stood in front of him.

Alice was wearing a cute blue dress which was absolutely dripping wet and clung to her curves…

Great, now he was going insane.

"You people are all insane!" he told them, trying to get off that thought.

"That's rich coming from you," Duchess remarked.

"I'm not the one making up impossible stories."

"For the last time, your memories have been rearranged," Duchess was almost yelling.

"Guys would you just stop, you'll make Charlie cry!" Alice said breaking the tension.

"Oi!" Charlie cried offended. Everyone laughed, even Hatter. He had to hand it to her, she could be funny.

It was too bad he was going to have to kill her sometime. She was actually rather beautiful.

'_No! You're going to kill this girl, you can't think about her that way_,' he told himself.

Alice turned and looked at him and he could see it in her eyes.

There was something there, emotions that you just shouldn't have for someone you don't know. But that look said that she knew him and she cared for him. He had made her happy…

… Yip, he was going insane!


	14. Love

**Love**

Hatter stared in wonder at the large chess like ruins. So this was the kingdom of the knights.

Alice told him the Queen had done this. He didn't doubt it.

Charlie set them up in a campsite right in front of the King's skeleton. It was kind of odd.

Charlie was running around talking about Borogove cutlets, what ever they were. And Duchess was sitting off somewhere moping.

He and Alice sat up on a hill; the view looked vaguely familiar, like something he'd dreamt of before.

She was still going on with her annoying stories. If he had his knife he would have shut her up ages ago. But she had them and she was an amazing fighter. There was no way he could just kidnap her and take her back.

Then it was quiet for a long time. He looked over at her to see she was crying.

"What now?" he said not sounding as harsh as he'd hoped.

"Just this whole mess!" she told him, sitting down so their arms were touching. "I waited a year to come here. Every second I was looking over my shoulder, hoping you'd be there. But you never were. I was afraid that you'd forgotten me; that you didn't care anymore.

I waited a year to come back here. And I come back to this."

"Well look at it this way," he said after a moment. "It could be worse. Charlie and Duchess could be dead. And if your imaginary sequence of events really were true then I could be too. You should count yourself lucky!"

That actually got a laugh out of her.

No! What was he doing, this was what he was trying to avoid.

"So you're saying that I fell in love with you in just one day?" he said sceptically. Unfortunately so far it was looking to be true.

"I don't know, ask Charlie," she told him.

He got another flash. He and Alice standing in a strange house. Behind her was a room with no floor and a never ending pit. Beside them Charlie made strange noises while looking at a wall searching for a door…

He shook his head to clear it. What was with these random flashes?

"So if I loved you, then what did you feel for me?" he said curiously. He had no idea where it had come from.

Alice looked up at him, sadness written over her face.

"I didn't trust you. It seemed everything you did was for the ring. But I trusted you more and more. I cared about you. But it wasn't until I was home that I realised it... I love you Hatter."

Hearing that tickled something in the back of his mind. Rather than say something horrid, he found he was as mute as a fish. He looked into her pretty blue eyes that looked back at him with longing.

Hesitantly she leaned over and kissed him. The pressure of her lips was familiar in a way…

He flashed again.

He sat in a dark cell. His torturers, Knave and the twins, stood on the other side of the bars smiling. In his arms lay Alice, her blood pooling into his lap.

"…That's all I wanted, to see you again. I love you Hatter," she whispered. Then his lips were against hers, tears running down his cheeks.

"And I love you Alice…"

Then it all came back. Like a flood of memories overlapping the ones he had. Memories of running a tea shop, working for the resistance.

Alice, so many of Alice. He loved Alice.

Then things had gone wrong. The torture, the illusion of Alice, being told she was dead…

Then his mind was back in the present. Not a second had passed and Alice's lips were warm and soft against his. He began to kiss her back.

Tears were silently running down his face.

"Alice!" he whispered, letting all his emotions flow into her name. She drew back a little and he took her in an embrace. Holding her to him as hard as he could without hurting her.

"I thought you were dead, they told me you were dead!" he sobbed into her shoulder.

"Hatter?" she asked hopefully. She pulled herself away and held his face in her hands, inspecting him and studying his eyes.

"I think your luck's finally beginning to change," he whispered, looking back into her eyes. He could see the memory of that personal moment not far from here flash through her eyes.

She must know he was back because she threw her arms around him again.

Then she was kissing him again, this time there was no hesitation. The kiss was strong and passionate.

"I missed you," she whispered against his lips. He smiled before his lips were pressed against hers again.

He was back. And he had Alice back. There was no way he was letting her go.


	15. Banter

**Banter**

_Alice_

They spent another few hours alone up on the hill. Her Hatter was truly back, and he was as happy as ever.

But every now and then he did seem slightly down, haunted. Like he was looking at the last year of his life and seeing all the horrible things he had done.

But he kept a happy face and smiled adoringly whenever she looked at him. She was so glad to know that he really did love her.

She could only imagine what it was like for him. After all, he knew that she loved him and he'd been set free.

"I don't like these clothes," he said. Alice laughed.

"Then change them around a bit to suit your style."

"That's the thing!" he said forlorn. "It _is_ my style, but it's not my colour!"

"Colours," she corrected. "And black is a tone anyway." He hit her playfully with his left hand and she grinned. "Charlie will be glad to know you're back."

"Aw shoot, I have to apologise to him," he said.

"And Duchess," she added. He looked at her like she was joking. She just held the same face.

"You're… you're serious? There's no point, that's how we've always talked," he grinned. Alice raised an eyebrow. "Serious, death threats and all."

He looked at her so cutely she couldn't help but laugh. This was what she missed.

"So, when we get you back through," Alice sat up straight when he only mentioned her going back. "Let me finish! When we get you back through… would you mind if I came with you?"

She smiled and relaxed back into him, lying against his chest.

"If you didn't come through with me I would have to come back, tie you up and drag you through. It will be awkward trying to tell my mother why I have a man tied up in my room though."

"Hmm… that's a kidnapping I would _actually_ like," he mused, stroking her hair. He was silent and she could tell he was thinking about being locked up again.

"Don't," she told him. "Please don't think about it."

"You know you're the only thing that got me through," he told her with a sad smile.

She curled into him, reassuring him. She didn't want to let go.

"Well I'm here, and I won't ever let anything like that happen again." A small laugh slipped from her lips. "My side is going to seem _so_ boring after our adventures here. But it's safe and happy there."

"I like the sound of it already. To tell you the truth you had me at 'my side'. Alice, I'm happy as long as you're there with me… as long as it's not a torture room."

She gave him a little nudge to get him off the thought.

"Come on, we need to figure out how to get home and you need to apologise to Charlie. She had to push as hard as she could (physically and mentally) to get out of Hatter's arms. Then she pulled him to his feet too. His hand entwined with hers and they set off down the hill.

"So, what will I do if I can't get back," Alice began the familiar conversation on the familiar path.

"Then I'll look after you," Hatter replied kissing her. "You know… I wonder what would have happened if Jack hadn't come along at that moment?"

"Would it have mattered?" she asked. Hatter just grinned and shook his head.

When they found Charlie he was sitting in one of his 'trances'.

"Charlie," Alice said shaking him slightly. "Charlie?"

Suddenly the old man jumped up with a huge grin.

"Hatter!" he cried hugging him. Hatter just stood there in shock, stiff as a board.

Alice couldn't help but giggle.

"You're back! Oh blessed day Hatter's back!" he sung.

"Yip… it's great to be back… you can stop hugging me now," he said uncomfortably. Reluctantly Charlie dethatched himself. Hmm, Charlie must really like hugs, that or he really didn't know how long it was appropriate to hug someone…

"I'll cook some Borogove cutlets to celebrate!" he told them going back to the fire.

It was dark by the time Duchess finally appeared from where ever she had been.

Alice, Hatter and Charlie were happily munching away on barbequed Borogove.

"Finally done moping?" Hatter teased.

"Oh go kill something!" she hissed at him.

"You? That I'd do gladly."

"I think you should tie him up again Alice!" Duchess tried not to yell at her.

"Tie me up! Now that just sounds kinky!" Alice laughed and nearly choked on her Borogove.

Hatter rubbed her back. "Sorry, you okay?" he asked. She nodded and tried to get her food down.

"Just please don't do that again." He nodded and gently bumped into her, making her fall over slightly. She bumped him back.

"Well, he seems less homicidal towards you. So I'm either going to guess that the idiot will fall in love with you no matter what life he leads, or he's back."

"Back," Alice confirmed.

"Ugh, joy!" she said sarcastically. "Just do me a favour and don't get all cutesy and mushy around me."

Defiantly Hater leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Actually, I think Duchess was right on both accounts. Evil me _was_ starting to fall for you too." He whispered into her ear. She smiled and felt her hear flutter. So she probably would have ended up with Hatter either way.

"Oh please!" Duchess snorted.

"Stop being so jealous golden one!" Charlie told her.

"Golden one?" she said.

"You aren't supposed to be wearing red, you're supposed to wear gold. It suits you much better. It's the colour I saw you in when I was in my trance," he replied. Duchess looked at Alice perplexed.

"Charlie works with 'the black arts'!" she said teasingly.

"Hey! Don't mock the black arts!" Hatter said suddenly. "Charlie's been right on three or four occasions that I know of." Alice shrugged.

He was right, Charlie had gotten her out of the truth room and had known Hatter was back before they told him.

It might come in handy in the following days.

She looked at the three people beside her. They were all she had to help her get home. They were her only hope…

They were Wonderlands only hope.


	16. Hope

**Hope**

_Hatter_

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Alice said.

The ring. It had to be the ring. So far in every battle for the power of Wonderland, the one with the ring was in charge.

"Well," he said. "We could stay here for now… But I wouldn't risk keeping you here. They pretty much know this place exists, and they know we've been here before; I couldn't hide that from them. They'll have Suits swarming the fortress in no time… then again, they did just loose their best tracker."

Bloodhound was the only other person with his tracking skills. Luckily he was on the resistance side. When he was 'Evil Hatter' he really should have turned him in. But Hound paid him a big fat sum to keep quiet.

"We need the ring, so here's my plan," he proposed. "The ring will be charging the looking glass… tomorrow actually. We go there; take the ring and all four of us go through. Then it won't have enough power to let anyone else through and we'll all be safe."

"Wait, what about my kingdom!" Duchess cried. He and the other two looked at her. "What? I am Queen," she said defensively. "If Jack had lived longer I probably would have been _his_ queen. And if the Heart line should end, I am next in line for the throne." Beside him Alice sighed.

"She's right Hatter, we have to stop this once and for all."

He sighed and nodded. He supposed it was a good thing they had him. Technically he was an insider. Considering he was such a pratt they didn't trust him with much, but they trusted him enough. Lots more than they trusted Duchess anyway.

"So either way we need the ring," he said. "It's a power sway, who ever has it has control. And lets face it… we need all the power we can get." They all looked around at the four of them. A crazy old knight, who quite frankly was a big coward. A prissy, rather violent, queen, who only acted strong. A black belt martial arts teacher, who is the most wanted person in all of wonderland. And him. An ex-dodgy dealer, ex-evil assassin with an oddly strong hand.

It was lucky not many people knew about it. Knave did, he feared it, and thankfully he didn't know it was also his weakness. If someone held his hand down it was useless. It became just as weak as it could be strong.

They were all they had.

They discussed their plans further before they decided to call it a night. The pan didn't really equate to much. They all greed that from experience plans tended to fall to pieces. Everything they'd done was on the spur of the moment.

They had tried to give the bed to Alice, but she rejected it, giving it to Duchess. Instead she followed him to the corner he had slept in last time and lay against him. He had to admit, he liked this a lot better.

Alice smiled up at him, then the smile faltered.

"H-Hatter?" she asked hesitantly. "Is March really your brother?" He sighed deeply.

"Unfortunately," he replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alice whispered.

"Well it's not exactly something I like to think about. March was absolute scum, but I don't really like to remember that I had to kill the bastard twice!"

He shuddered as he remembered the first time it had happened. March had gone after him… and okay he didn't directly kill him. But he got him badly enough that the Queen saw him as useless and had him executed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault he chose to be the Queen's assassin."

He winced as he was flooded with memories of killing people for her. Sneaking into houses at night and cutting throats. Tracking someone so he could put a hole through their head. He shuddered again.

"Hey!" Alice said shaking him. "Stop it! Stop thinking about it Hatter!"

"I just want there memories to go away!" he cried. "It's not me but I can see _me_ doing it. I know I didn't like Dodo much but… that was just…"

Suddenly Alice's lips were against his and all thoughts slipped from his head.

"Thank you," he murmured against her lips. "You know… I'm starting to remember that room with the twins…"

Alice laughed and kissed him again. He wished that this moment didn't have to end.


	17. Stealing

**Stealing**

In the morning Charlie took them on the back routes to the city. It meant they avoided the forest. And it was actually quicker than the way they had come last time they went this way by horse. It was midday by the time they reached the city. Duchess and Alice were wearing some hats he took form his low level hideout. Well… change hide out to weapons store room. He hadn't stayed in there long and when he walked out he was shaking. So it was no wonder Alice didn't believe him when he told her he was fine.

After the Queen had tried to banish Alice she had become quite attached to that certain punishment. These days if someone who was on her side displeased her, she would simply banish them through the Looking Glass. Little did she know that they were probably better off on that side anyway. As they entered the building he grabbed a hold of Charlie and dragged him towards the mirror, Alice and Duchess flanking him with their heads down.

"Hatter!" one of the Suits said. He sounded surprised and rather fearful. "I thought you'd gone AWOL!"

"That bloody cow drugged and kidnapped me!" he spat referring to Alice. "The Queens got her now. I'm just here to push this bugger through." He moved Charlie to the front. Charlie began to complain about not liking his attitude. At least this time he was doing an okay job at playing along.

"S-sorry Hatter but you'll have to wait," the Suit stuttered. "The Glass is still charging… it's too dangerous!"

He dropped Charlie and the other two stepped forward and took an arm each. He stepped forward intimidating. It scared the suits _and _him to no end. It was scary how easily he could slip back into acting like this!

The Suit shrunk away from him, his eyes wide with fear. In just a few steps they were right beside the power box. In one quick movement he punched the guy and grabbed the ring form the box.

The other Suits ran at them but Alice and Duchess kicked into gear immediately and helped fight too. Soon all the Suits lay on the ground and they were running to the roof. It wouldn't take long for back up to arrive.

There were only two flamingos and he placed Alice on the back of his one. Much to Charlie's displeasure Duchess jumped on the front of the other one.

"Excuse me madam, but I do believe that I should be in the front."

"Just get on old man!" she commanded him.

"But with all this armour I will not fit on the back… I will _not_ get on the back!" Charlie complained.

"Charlie! We really don't have time for this right now!" Hatter told him. He slightly remembered telling him that in an elevator in the casino. But it was fuzzy because at the time he was still trying to get it around his head that the_ girl_ he _loved _most in the world was dating the_ guy_ he _hated_ most in the world!

"Charlie please just get on!" Alice begged.

"No!" he said indignantly.

Then right on cue the back up Suits appeared. They seemed to have a knack for showing up _just_ before they left the roof on flamingos… every time! And they always had those bloody guns!

He_ really _had a thing about bullets! It had to be the one thing he _hadn't_ been tortured with.

Quickly Charlie jumped on the back and they all took off. But before they had even cleared the roof they heard the old man cry as he toppled off backwards because of the powerful launch.

They were already way out when they realised and they turned around.

"No! Keep going!" he yelled at them as the pack of Suits converged on him.

"Charlie!" Alice screamed.

"Go Alice! Go!" the old man cried. He shot Hatter a look, and Hatter knew immediately that it was Charlie or all of them. As much as he loved Charlie they just couldn't afford to get him. With Alice crying out behind him he sorrowfully turned the flamingo around and headed to the castle.

Sir Charles Eustace Fotheringhay Le Malvois III had done his second, bravest thing ever…


	18. A Lot of Blood

**A Lot of Blood**

_Alice_

Alice cried as they speed away from the rooftop. Charlie was yelling at them to go and Hatter was reasoning aloud why they were leaving Charlie behind. She had a feeling he didn't realise he was talking his internal monologue aloud. Sobbing she held onto Hatter and buried her face in his shoulder.

What would they do to Charlie? Poor, sweet, innocent, mostly scared Charlie! He had sacrificed himself for them! She'd never seen him ever do something so brave. Not even his army of the dead knights could compare.

Hatter stopped talking to himself and began talking to her, trying to tell her that Charlie would be okay. That they'd probably only put him through the Looking Glass or take him to the castle. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself too. And the options didn't sound very comforting either. But she managed to wipe away the tears and put on a brave face as we landed on the roof of the castle.

"What do we do now?" Duchess asked. They hadn't planned this far ahead… because frankly none of them thought they'd even _get_ this far!

"Were going to have to kill the Queen," Hatter said roughly. "I guess I could do it…"

"We all know you can," Duchess retorted bitterly. Hatter glared at her.

"I meant because of what she's done. I could kill the whole bloody lot of them, but… I _really_ don't want to kill anymore." Hearing the sadness in his voice Alice put her had comfortingly on his arm.

"How about we just wing it," she suggested. "It's been my experience that plans just fall apart and go wrong... _all_ of them! The only time anything has ever gone right was when we did it on the spur of the moment." Both Hatter and Duchess nodded in agreement.

Duchess led them to trap door that she would never had known was there, even if she stood staring at it for ever.

"This used to be my family's castle, only we know the hidden passageways," she before she slipped down. Hatter held his hand out and Alice used it to lower herself down. He jumped in lightly after her. After that they walked on for agonising minutes in darkness and silence down passages and stairways. No one wanted to breathe a word from fear of being heard through the walls.

It was cold in the tunnels and Alice was glad when Duchess finally stopped and opened a small door. It was painful walking from the darkness of the passages to the bright white of the castle walls. By the looks of it they weren't too far from the throne room.

But over by the door stood two Suits. A few more seconds and the Suits would see them.

"Alice do you trust me?" Hatter suddenly asked.

"Completely," she replied.

"Good, Duchess, hide." With a resentful look at him she complied, sneaking back into the tunnels.

Hatter grabbed her roughly and held her hands behind her back, loosely tying them with some rope he had in his pocket. When she looked up at him he was wearing a hard cold mask. His eyes full of sarcasm, malice and hatred. The side of his mouth was curled up in a scary maniacal half smile. It made her shudder.

He pushed her forward towards the door of the throne room. The Suits looked startled at the sight of him.

"Well, what are you blooding waiting for? Tea time?" Hatter snapped at them. Hurriedly the opened the doors and he continued to drag her through. There was a startled cry as the Queen of Hearts, seeing them, stood up.

"Hatter, you're back! We thought something bad had happened to you," she said with false relief.

"Me, are you kidding," he replied reminding her eerily of when she had asked him what he would do when she left with jack.

"Then where have you been?" Knave demanded coming forward to his mother's side.

"This little _bitch,_" he gave a rough jerk on her 'bonds', "drugged me and kidnapped me! But as you can see I'm back, and better yet, I have her." he looked at Knave. "And you _really_ need to get a better wife because as I've said a dozen times, this one was _psychotic!"_

"I have to agree with you there," Knave laughed. "But, it's been a whole day Hatter, what took you so long?"

"I wasn't exactly able to turn the tables on my captors very easily. But the tables turned when they were too distracted trying to steel this," he held out the ring for them to see.

"My ring!" the Queen cried.

"Relax Mary, don't get your panties in a bunch. It's all sorted," he said walking over to her. "Alice of legend is captured, Duchess is dead and the ring is once again yours." He held it out to her and as her chubby fingers reached for it Hatter's right hand few out and punched her. There was a crunch as it connected with her face and in less than a second Alice heard gun shots.

Already having anticipated this Hatter ducked down and the bullets found an entirely different target. The Queen stood, her eyes wide in shock, patches of dark red were seeping out and blotching on her already red dress. With a last gasp she fell to the ground dead.

Knave roared in fury and pulling out his gun aimed at Alice.

But at that very moment Duchess came out of hiding. She ran at knave, screaming and welding a metal bar in the air. With a screech she brought in down on his head just as he turned around. He crumpled to the floor, a long bloody gash in his head. But Duchess didn't stop, she kept bludgeoning his lifeless body with the bar yelling hateful words. But hysteria made her cries incoherent.

Panicked Alice shrugged out of her bonds and ran over to her. She dragged her back and prised the bar from her hands. The fight all out of her, Duchess now sat numbly on the floor. Tears ran wildly down her cheeks and her hands and dress stained with blood.

It was then that Alice noticed something was horribly wrong. Hatter hadn't come to help after he punched the Queen. Looking over at him she realised with a heart stopping jolt that he hadn't even moved.

"Hatter!" she screamed running over to him. He lay on the ground gasping, holding his side. He was white as a sheet and she could see blood running through his fingers.

"You're not wearing body armour!" she cried in surprise and alarm.

"I haven't exactly needed to the past year," he winced. "I'm fine," he told her seeing her panicked face. "Just get this blimmen bullet out and bandage me up and I'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound." She helped him sit up, his face contorted in pain.

Surprisingly one of the Suits came to their aid.

"Someone help the Queen," he said to the others. "And clear away the bodies." The suits nodded and set to work. Some pulling cloths over the body of the Queen and Knave until they could be taken away. Some of them helped a shell shocked Duchess to her feet and led her away to be cleaned up.

The Suit helped Hatter to his feet and supported him as they made their way to the infirmary, then proceeded to bandage him up.

It appeared that Wonderland was once again in the right hands.

It would never cease to amaze her how fast the balance of power could change.


	19. Different Worlds

**Different Worlds**

_Hatter_

It was a relief to change out of that horrible monkey suit he'd been forced to wear for the ceremony.

…Hmm why is it a _monkey suit_? Monkeys didn't look like they were wearing a suit, penguins did, it should be a _penguin suit!_

Hatter looked around the room slightly disorientated. This place was so busy compared to Wonderland. Quite frankly he didn't have a clue what was going on. Big beetle like vehicles rolled on the roads below. It would take a while to get used to this place. But as long as this place hat three things he'd be happy.

One: Tea.

Two: Hats, the more kinds the better.

And three: The one thing he could never live without again, Alice.

He was standing in her room, wearing only a pair of jeans and a fedora, looking out the window when Alice walked in. she was still wearing the dress she wore to the ceremony and looked absolutely stunning. She joined him by the window and he wrapped his arms around her. He could see her trying not to look at the scars across his torso from the torture.

That all seemed so far away now. Wonderland had become a totally different world.

"You know I feel sorry for Duchess," he said. "Don't get me wrong, she's going to make a great Queen. But having to knight Charlie? What a mouthful! Sir Charles Eustace Fotheringhay Le Malvois III The Brave!"

"I'm glad he's a real knight now… speaking of which, how's my knight going?" she asked.

"Ugh, please don't call me that," Hatter begged. "I feel like a pomp!" Alice laughed and snuggled in closer to his chest.

"Can I call you 'My Knight in a Sexy Hat'?"

"Hmm… 'Sexy Hat', I can deal with that," he grinned. Then he spun her around in his arms and kissed her.

Hatter hand never believed in happy endings, nor had he ever believed in happy beginnings. To him life was destined to be bad from beginning to end and you just had to deal the best way you could.

But it didn't matter what he had believed. It didn't matter what world he was in, as long as Alice was with him, he would be happy.


End file.
